West Virginia
Light in the Basement
West Virginia is the only state in the union that forbids a parent from educating his child beyond the ninth grade unless the parent has formal education past high school. The parent must have at least four years more formal education than any student he is teaching. This puts West Virginia home school law, so to speak, in the basement compared to the laws of the 49 other states.
This year Home School Legal Defense Association has assisted John Carey of Christian Home Educators of West Virginia in spearheading a major effort to begin long-overdue reform. S.B. 189, as drafted, would have permanently removed the four-year requirement. However, the bill faced very tough opposition in the senate subcommittee to which it was referred, primarily due to the influence of the teacher’s union lobbyists. With no paid lobbyist of their own, each small step forward was a battle in itself for the home schoolers.
After persistence, prayer, and hard work, the subcommittee agreed to give the bill a hearing. Those there will never forget the sight of over 100 home school families respectfully assembled in the house chambers to present testimony to the subcommittee. There was not an unruly child or a disrespectful adult in the entire group. John Carey and HSLDA attorney Scott A. Woodruff testified, as well as many others. The dignified, yet impassioned testimony of many home schoolers won over the subcommittee. S.B. 189 was referred to the full education committee with a favorable recommendation.
The full committee amended the bill to allow the four-year requirement to be removed for just one year. This was by far the best of many compromises discussed, and lays an excellent foundation for the eventual permanent removal of the unfair four-year requirement. A study of home schooling will also be performed under the terms of the bill. As of this writing, the bill has passed both the senate and the house and will be sent to the governor’s desk for signature in the next few weeks. — Scott A. Woodruff
